Demonstrations protesting the $150 tuition increase were not limited to Springfield, Chicago and DeKalb Wednesday.

Students from about 15 state universities participated in the Day of Action, a lobbying effort during the General Assembly veto session.

Bill Kemp, Illinois State University Daily Vidette reporter, said about 500 students and faculty members rallied on the quad. “This was the largest student rally at ISU since the late ‘70s.”

e said about 12 faculty members and student leaders were on the agenda to speak before several concerned students took to the microphone.

ISU’s Student Body Board of Directors sent two buses of students to Springfield where SBBD Pres. Tom Merion also had the opportunity to speak, Kemp said.

University of Illinois-Chicago students rallied on campus before marching down city streets to the State of Illinois Building.

Bobby Lewis, Western Illinois University’s Western Courier news editor, said there was only a small rally on campus. “We’re a pretty apathetic campus. When I went to our protest, it consisted of about 20 students sitting on the ground.”

Daily Illini Campus Editor Ann Dwyer, from the University of Illinois-Champaign, said, “There was just a rally on the quad today. It was nothing really major.”

Mary Bohlen, Sangamon State University News adviser, said there were no protests on campus. “Most of the people that would have been involved in protests went to the Capitol because Sangamon is in Springfield.”

She said, “I saw several of the more active students at the Capitol.”